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GOP, red-state Dems skip bill's unveiling

By Richard Simon Los Angeles Times

Posted:
01/24/2013 11:26:37 PM MST

Updated:
01/24/2013 11:27:33 PM MST

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, to introduce legislation on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices. Congressional Democrats are reintroducing legislation to ban assault weapons but the measure faces long odds even after last month's mass school shooting in Newtown, Conn. The measure being unveiled Thursday is authored by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who wrote the original assault weapons ban. That law expired in 2004 when Congress refused to renew it under pressure from the National Rifle Association.

WASHINGTON -- The struggle that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., faces in winning approval for a new assault weapons ban was apparent Thursday as soon as she walked into a room to unveil her bill.

No Republican lawmaker was there. Nor was a red-state Democrat.

Her new measure, which goes further than the now-lapsed 1994 law she authored, would prohibit the sale, import and manufacture of more than 150 weapons -- including the make of Bushmaster rifle used in the Connecticut school shootings -- and ammunition magazines that can accept more than 10 rounds.

Those who legally own assault weapons would be allowed to keep them. Buyers of currently owned assault weapons would be subject to criminal background checks.

"We have tried to recognize the right of a citizen to legally possess a weapon," Feinstein said at a Capitol Hill press conference, standing alongside a display of assault weapons, including models similar to those used in mass shootings. "No weapon is taken from anyone. The purpose is to dry up the supply of these weapons over time."

Although Feinstein dropped the idea of requiring owners of assault weapons to register their firearms, her proposal quickly drew criticism from the National Rifle Association and its allies in Congress.

"Sen. Feinstein has been trying to ban guns from law-abiding citizens for decades," the NRA said in a statement.

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"It's disappointing but not surprising that she is once again focused on curtailing the Constitution instead of prosecuting criminals or fixing our broken mental health system. The American people know gun bans do not work and we are confident Congress will reject Sen. Feinstein's wrongheaded approach."

Feinstein launched her drive standing alongside gun violence victims and law enforcement officials who will be crucial to her efforts to round up votes for the measure.

"I don't think people really understand the firepower that's out there on the streets," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. "We're not trying to seize everybody's guns. But we need reasonable gun control in this country or, guess what, it will happen again," he added, referring to mass shootings.

President Barack Obama has called for reinstating the federal ban. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president was working with Feinstein and would use "the power of his office" to advance the ban and other measures to reduce gun violence.

The bill is among a spate of measures introduced since last month's shooting of 20 first-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The measures include expanding background checks to all gun purchases and requiring bulk purchases of ammunition to be reported to authorities.

Reinstating the assault weapons ban is considered to face longer odds than a number of other proposals, especially in the Republican-controlled House. The bill's introduction comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to hold a hearing next Wednesday on gun violence.

In 1994, Feinstein overcame the opposition of the National Rifle Association to win passage of a landmark weapons ban -- as an amendment to an anti-crime bill -- only to see it expire a decade later.

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